Whether you’re an individual student seeking professional growth, an organizational leader aiming to upskill your team, or a small business looking for HR onboarding solutions, Cougar Tracks at WSU Tri-Cities is your trusted partner in continuing education and workforce training.
- Expert-led instruction: Learn from experienced professionals and industry leaders.
- Flexible learning options: Choose from in-person workshops, online courses, or hybrid formats.
- Customizable courses: Create training and onboarding courses that fit your organization or industry.
- Community impact: Strengthen your career and contribute to the growth of the Tri-Cities region.
- Lifelong learning: From beginner to advanced levels, our courses are designed to grow with you.
Featured Course – Leadership Academy
This year-long program equips leaders with the skills and strategies to drive innovation, collaboration, and sustainable progress.
Individual students
Unleash your potential with courses designed to enhance your professional and personal growth.
- Develop executive presence and advanced leadership skills: Build the confidence and expertise needed to lead with authority and influence in any professional setting.
- Attain industry certifications to build your resume: Gain recognized credentials that set you apart and demonstrate your expertise to employers.
- Learn fundamentals essential for team and business success: Master the skills required to initiate, operate, and sustain successful teams and enterprises.
- Gain hands-on experience through project-based and experiential learning: Collaborate with industry mentors on real-world projects to apply knowledge and sharpen your skills.
Organizational team training
Empower your teams with customized training solutions to drive performance and foster collaboration.
- Leadership and team building: Develop inclusive leadership skills and strengthen team dynamics through experiential activities.
- Advanced communication skills: Improve workplace communication and conflict resolution with real-world scenarios and practical strategies.
- Innovation in action: Foster creative problem-solving and entrepreneurial thinking with hands-on workshops led by industry mentors.
- Customer Service Mastery: Equip your team with advanced strategies to elevate customer experience and brand loyalty.
HR onboarding solutions for small businesses
Streamline your onboarding process with training solutions tailored to meet your business needs.
- Customizable onboarding packages: Designed to align with your company’s mission, values, and operational goals.
- Compliance and safety training: Ensure your team meets regulatory standards with courses in workplace safety and ethics.
- Soft skills for success: Equip new hires with essential interpersonal skills, including communication, time management, and adaptability.
All Cougar Tracks courses
“We found Cougar Tracks to be a valuable tool to educate our enterprise management team on accounting practices while fostering a strong sense of team at the same time. 16 members of our management team went through the Understanding Business Costs certificate program together. Some are adept at accounting practices, including two CPAs, while others have a basic understanding. Everyone on our team benefited from the coursework and related discussions, and our enterprise is all the better for it. We felt so strongly about the value we received that we had three of our managers enroll in an additional course to invest in their growth and add value to our team. We highly recommend Cougar Tracks and will leverage this training tool in the future!”
Michael Novakovich, President & CEO, Columbia Ability Alliance
“Being part of Cultivating Service Excellence really helped me improve how I communicate, especially when it comes to handling tough conversations with my coworkers. I learned how to adjust the way I communicate to better connect with both customers and teammates, which has made a big difference. I also picked up skills like answering the phone in a professional way and making sure every customer who comes into the store feels supported. One of the biggest takeaways for me was realizing how much my attitude affects everyone around me, even during a simple phone call.”
“I grew up in foster care and then went into years of experiencing incarceration and addiction. The Cultivating Service Excellence class taught me skills that no one ever taught me.”
Grace Collective team members
Scholarship opportunities
Take advantage of our City of Richland Workforce Training Scholarship Funds and City of Pasco Scholarship Funds to make education accessible and affordable.
Eligibility requirements:
- Must be a resident, business owner, or employee of a business within the City of Pasco or City of Richland (proof of residency or employment may be required)
- Applications are processed on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- Funds are limited and will be awarded until fully utilized (applications may still be submitted for consideration in the next funding year)
Questions about Cougar Tracks?
Michelle Hrycauk NassifCougar Tracks Directorm.hrycauknassif@wsu.eduMichelle Hrycauk Nassif is a passionate advocate for inclusive education with a focus on program design for underrepresented groups. Specialized in Learning Design, she has developed impactful, multi-lingual programs across healthcare, STEM, clean energy, and business development. Driven by enabling resources that advance learners’ social and economic impact, Michelle’s approach connects stakeholders from the private sector, nonprofits, and academia to drive workforce development and foster community growth. Her innovative approach consistently empowers individuals and organizations to thrive.